WhatsApp is adding support for searching GIFs from within the app for Android users. GIF support for Android was anticipated since it rolled for iOS.

WhatsApp is adding support for searching GIFs from within the app for Android users. The messaging platform also expanded the app’s media sharing limit from 10 to 30. The features are available for WhatsApp beta version 2.17.6 for users on Android. WhatsApp users on iOS got GIF support within the app in November, 2016.

However, Android users could only send or receive emojis only if they had them stored in the their device. Now, Android users can access Giphy library (TENOR for some users) right from within the WhatsApp app and send them to friends. The new GIF icon appears when you tap on the emoji icon next to the text bar. It is available at the bottom of the smiley window.

GIF support for Android was anticipated since it rolled for iOS platform. With the new feature, WhatsApp wants to make its platform more engaging. In iOS, the GIFs can be edited to add emojis, text or trimmed before sending. However, we’ll have to wait and watch if users can do the same in Android as well. You can ‘star’ favourite GIFs to have quick access to them.

Next up, WhatsApp has increased its data sharing limit from 10 to 30, which makes it convenient for users to share media in bulk. When it comes to media sharing, users pretty much like to share as much as they can in one go to save time. WhatsApp’s previous media sharing limit was a bit too low, and annoying at times. The update is surely a refreshing change.

WhatsApp has more than 1 billion users, which makes it one of the most popular messaging apps. It announced video-calling feature for all users on November 15. India remains an important market for Facebook-owned WhatsApp with close to 160 million monthly active users in the country. According to WhatsApp, they saw over 63 billion messages were sent on New Year’s eve on its platform globally.

According to leaks, WhatsApp is working on a new ‘Status’ tab update, which could allow users to share Stories in this space, similar to how it works on Snapchat. WhatsApp users will be able to see how many of their friends have seen the Stories, and just like on Snapchat these will disappear after 24 hours.